Kriol Star captured Cape Verde’s first-ever BAL win, stunning hosts ASC Ville de Dakar 66-63 in Dakar. Ivan Almeida and Joel Almeida starred as the Islanders bounced back in dramatic fashion on Day 2 of the Sahara Conference.
Last Updated on
April 27, 2025
Day two of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Sahara Conference produced another stunner: Cape Verde's Kriol Star picked the country's first-ever win in the premier African men's club competition.
Hugo Salgado's men came into the clash on the back of a 103-74 loss to defending champions Petro de Luanda in Saturday's first game, but that just fueled their resolve as they went on to pick a 66-63 victory over hosts ASC Ville de Dakar. The hosts were coming off a 70-67 win over 2022 champions US Monastir.
For a second match running, the Islanders went to battle without their Elite 16 hero, who led them to qualification, Patrick McGlynn, who reportedly picked a foot injury before the competition at the Dakar Arena got underway.
Ivan Almeida started for Kriol, dropping a double-double on 13 points and as many rebounds in a match that Richaud Pack top scored with 19, three more that skipper and Ivan's elder brother Joel Almeida who dropped five of his side's 11 treys. Will Perry led the scoring for the hosts, scoring five threes to finish as the match's top scorer with 23, 13 more than any other teammate.
"The biggest shift from yesterday was our mentality. The first game there was a lot of jitters but we had to put that aside, refocus the group and bring resilience. It doesn't matter how hard one knocked down, but how quick one can recover. This was a statement win from us and we have to build on this. It is, however, a long process," offered skipper Joel Almeida.
The Islanders headed to the second quarter trailing by five following a 20-15 first-quarter show. Abdoulaye Harouna made it an eight-point game from the charity stripe in the second minute of the quarter.
With more than six minutes to play, Kriol Star were in foul trouble, but they managed to claw their way back to level the score at 24 points off a Cameron Parker trey. He grabbed the lead for Salgado's charges, converting two from the free-throw line.
Part club owner Joel dropped his third trey of the match to make it 29-24, with Richaud Pack adding two from the charity stripe for 32-26. BAL champion Ater Majok and Mamadou Sakho dropped back-to-back baskets to bring ASC within a point 33-32 heading to the halftime break.
Following the break, Salgado brought in sharpshooter Ivan Almeida who went back-to-back from behind the arc to pull Kriol Star away, but some costly turnovers handed the hosts a fighting chance, making it a two-point game at 41-39 halfway through the stanza. The Islanders held on for a seven-point lead heading to the final quarter.
Perry got action with his fifth and sixth threes, bringing the difference down to one at 55-54 and again at 58-57 as the game heated. For the better part of the stanza, the match was tied or separated by a basket before a dramatic finish, with the game decided in the final 14 seconds.
[Photography Courtesy of The BAL]
